Motorhomes give you the ultimate freedom - but you still need to know the ground rules.
Courtney Whitaker's tips on how to have a safe and comfortable motorhome holiday.
1 Road rules: Most road rules in New Zealand for motorhomes are similar to those for cars. But though the rural speed limit is 100km per hour, if you are travelling in a motorhome with a Gross Vehicle Mass (GMV) of more than 3500kg, this speed limit is reduced to
90km per hour. Don't fret if your motorhome won't fit on the bathroom scales though, your rental company will be able to confirm whether your vehicle fits this criteria or not.
2 Insurance: Make sure you have insurance to cover your trip. Most motorhome rental outlets will offer some form of accident liability cover when you hire the vehicle, though it pays to shop around. Some will offer roadside assistance.
3 Dump stations: Only dispose of your waste water in designated dump stations. These are usually located at camping grounds, holiday parks, or on the outskirts of a town or city. You can find maps of the dump stations located around the country on websites such as AA Traveller: maps.aa.co.nz. If, like me, you're not well-versed in the intricacies of motorhome waste management, check out camper mate.co.nz for a handy "how-to" video.
4 Freedom camping: There are around 340 "free" campsites around New Zealand that are designated by local councils and the Department of Conservation. Tap into doc.govt.nz/freedomcamping for ideas, or go back to campermate.co.nz, which has a handy downloadable app, allowing you to be more spontaneous with your stops. It's important to stick only to marked campsites, as it is illegal to camp on privately owned property without permission from the owner. Freedom camping in a restricted area can result in a hefty $200 infringement fee.
